Free Souls
by LilweenGalatrass
Summary: Yona found the Green Dragon in Awa Port - she didn't expect to find another companion along the way. A woman from Jae-ha's past and who seems related to the Four Dragons joins the travelers. Though, being part of a group of spies and assassins called the "Red Lotus", she was the least expected person to protect Princess Yona. [Begins at the Awa arc] Jae-ha x OC
1. Prologue

_I should NOT post anther fanfic but I need to write some action and fighting so here it is!_

 _Thank you for reading this story~_

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FANFICTION

AKATSUKI NO YONA : FREE SOULS

CHAPTER I : Prologue

 _Kouka Kingdom, Earth Tribe…_

"The sale is about to start!" A man whispered to another.

"There are new goods from last time?"

"Yes! Coming from the Fire Tribe!"

"Let's go then!"

A young man wearing a dark cape glanced around, his purple eyes glancing on his right where the group of men had been talking. He quickly finished the transaction with the seller and threw the bag with his new throwing knives and daggers over his shoulder before starting to follow the group of men, appearing as nonchalant as possible. He probably shouldn't follow these men – he had orders after all. He didn't want to disappoint the Captain when, for the first time since he had arrived in Awa, she had trusted him enough to send him to other cities that were further away in the Earth Tribe's lands.

" _Listen well, Jae-ha, I am not sending you anywhere other than Awa not because I don't trust you but because I don't trust other people. You always use your power here and you are used to it, the people as well. What will happen if someone who isn't from here sees you using your power of dragon? You're like my son now, I don't want you chained down once again because people think of you as some freak beast. That's why, as soon as you're done with the mission I have given you, I want you to come back to Awa. Be discreet, don't make yourself noticed."_

Jae-ha definitely shouldn't go any further in this town's black market but his curiosity had been risen by these men's discussion. It might be irresponsible from him, but he didn't like that Captain Gi-Gan, as protective and kind as she was, would tell him to follow orders and come back as soon as he was done with the mission. He wasn't bound to anyone or anything. He wasn't bound to Captain Gi-Gan nor Awa Port. He was free. This was the real power his legs were giving him.

"Everyone, here is our next prized item!" A voice resonated as Jae-ha emerged from under arcs that were linking the buildings together.

It was some sort of little place with many people gathered here. At the back of it, there was a little stage and Jae-ha froze completely, blood freezing when he understood what sort 'sale' it was, what were the _goods_ sold…

"Fifteen years old and in good health and shape! Her appearance isn't much but she will do good for work and chores!" The man who was selling slaves shouted.

A girl with tears streaming down her face was pulled forward violently, her hands attached by a rope that the dealer was pulling. She fell on her knees while some people – possible buyers – were whispering about the quality of the merchandise.

"The initial price is twenty copper coins!" The dealer exclaimed with a bad grin.

"Twenty-five for me!" A man in the assembly shouted, lifting up his hand.

"Thirty!"

As the price was being discussed, Jae-ha clenched his fists and jaw, looking away from the disgusting scene.

" _Be discreet, don't make yourself noticed."_

Jae-ha couldn't fight all of these people alone and free the slaves. And even if he managed to save them, what would he do afterward? He couldn't get them out of town, even less the black market.

 _If they really want to be free, they'll fight and gain their freedom the same way I have_ … He thought to himself, trying to comfort himself.

He turned his heels, about to leave this place when he glanced at the side where the girls to be sold were all aligned on the floor. They were sitting and crying silently, trying to smother their sobs. Some looked like empty shells – they must have been slaves for a while now, as unfortunate as it sounds.

 _Don't get involved, you can't make yourself noticed,_ Jae-ha thought to himself once again.

"Stop moving around ya little wench! You're next, behave!"

Jae-ha glanced over and saw a slave trader puling violently at a rope. A girl who looked thin and frail fell violently against the muddy ground. She looked up at the man and glared at him so viciously he almost let go of the rope. Even from afar, Jae-ha felt a chill running down his spine.

 _Don't get involved._ He repeated to himself.

The slave trader grabbed the girl by the arm and forced her up but she jumped around, trying to kick him and the other slave traders around.

"Damn it! Just stop behaving like that!" A man growled.

She almost escaped the slave trader's grip and tried to bite him directly into his face, almost getting him.

 _She's got spirit…_ Jae-ha remarked, lips slightly open as he saw her eyes burning with a determined and strong fire.

Suddenly, a man punched the girl so violently she fell back on the mud, barely moving from the violence with which she had been punched.

 _Don't get involved…_

"That'll teach ya a lesson!" The man who had punched her said as he was being given a whip.

The sound of the whip clacking against the girl's back resonated in the entire place but no one other than the frightened girls and Jae-ha seemed to be bothered by it. The girl who had been fighting back jumped, clenching tightly her jaw in order to avoid screaming, glaring at the men who were looking at him. Her eyes were the most beautiful shade of amber Jae-ha had ever seen – gold, shining from within with a fire that seemed to try and swallow everyone around to burn them.

Another whipping sound.

 _Don't get involved._

Jae-ha closed his eyes as this time, a tiny scream escaped the girl's throat from another hit against her body.

 _Damn it… Sorry Captain…_ He thought to himself.

He looked all around. They were surrounded by buildings at every sides – the only access was the one road he had come from and the open space above their heads. The buildings were forming a square, glued to one another with a single balcony that made the entire round. Noticing several heavy tapestries hanging from there, Jae-ha glanced around him.

When no one was looking, he pushed on his right leg and landed at the balcony in perfect silence, remaining hidden for the moment. There was no one on the balcony as well and he could see from above the crowd of vile dogs about to buy innocent girls to turn them into slaves. Jae-ha couldn't save them all, but he couldn't leave behind this one frail girl who was trying so hard to fight back. He'd never forgive himself.

Just then, the golden-eyed girl was being pulled up on the stage, still fighting despite the pain that must have been racing in her back. She had blood on the side of her mouth turned into a thin line. A side of her face was bruised and the other covered in mud. Her clothes were hanging from her frail frame, covered in dirt and mud. Her eyes seemed to try and burn all of the slave traders.

"This girl, as you may see, she is quite fiery and hard to control but I can assure you that with the proper training, she could become exceptional. Imagine her without this mud and dirt – a pretty face and the most magnificent eyes you had ever seen!"

Several nodded and whistled in agreement, already interested in the girl just for her beauty – a fiery personality would be easy to tame.

Jae-ha acted just as everyone was busy whispering and watching in awe the young girl. He pushed the heavy tapestries off the balcony. As soon as it landed on people, indignified screams resonated and everyone turned their attention to the back of the place. Jae-ha jumped off the balcony and landed on the stage.

"What the–"

Jae-ha kicked the two slave traders with his dragon leg then grabbed the girl from around her waist and kicked off the stage so quickly that he had barely been seen in the confusion.

"Hey! Wait!"

"My item!"

"Someone catch him!"

"Is he… is he a monster?!"

Jae-ha landed and immediately jumped off a roof, holding tightly the girl under his arm. She was holding onto his arm in complete silence, as if scared he'd let her fall on the ground if she was speaking up. He glanced down at her and his heart missed a beat, eyes widening in shock. She wasn't frightened to fall, she wasn't remaining silent because of the flight.

Her eyes were wide open and sparkling with life and despite the mud and blood on her face, she had the brightest smile. She looked towards the sky in awe and he could read on her face what she was thinking.

 _I'm free! I fly, I'm free!_

Once they were away from the black market and at the edge of town, Jae-ha landed in a dark and narrow street, away from people and put her down.

The girl took a step away and fell on her behind, glancing up at him in a mix of hesitation and disappointment to be back on the ground – she almost looked like she was scolding him for landing on the ground.

"Who are you?" She asked immediately with a hoarse but strong voice.

"Your savior," he answered with a smile he tried to make nice.

She obviously didn't trust him and if he wanted things to go smoothly, he couldn't let her be as violent and fierce as she had been with her slave traders a moment ago – even if he _did_ enjoy a slightly rough treatment from a pretty girl once in a while, he had the feeling _this one_ might not be a treatment he'd enjoy at all.

She observed him with wide, surprised eyes, not believing him.

He took the opportunity in her silence to observe her more closely. Her hair was so dirty and muddy he couldn't figure out what was her hair color. Her petite stature and lack of curves under her clothes indicated that she was even younger than he had first thought – she couldn't be older than twelve or thirteen…

 _Forced into a slave so young…_ He thought bitterly.

He was about to ask her name – if she had one – when she spoke up:

"Thank you…" She murmured, her bright eyes the only thing he could see clearly in her miserable state.

Realizing that the only reason why she was being rough was because she wasn't used to being treated kindly, Jae-ha smiled and knelt on the floor in front of her, his head and green hair covered by his cape.

"I couldn't let such a fiery and pretty-looking girl being sold into slavery. My name is–"

He hesitated, not knowing whether or not he should give her his name. He could, to make her trust him, but if for some reason, she were to share his name and his power of flying around… it might get him in trouble.

"What will you do to me?" She asked suspiciously, body tensing up.

Her hands turned into fists and he had the feeling she was just about to punch her way away from him if he even tried anything bad against her.

"I will get you out of this town to give you a chance for freedom. I live in another town away from here, I will take you there and if you want, you could stay with my family. In all cases, I need to get us both out of this town before we are caught again."

He stood up, glancing around but there was still no one in view.

"I will go have a look at the surrounding to make sure no one has caught up with us. You stay here, I'll be right back!" he said with a smile.

He turned around and jumped on the roof then away. He made sure that there wasn't anyone nearby that might shoot them out of the sky as they'd get away then Jae-ha went back to the street where the girl had remained. But she was gone. He looked for her from the sky but there was no sign of the golden-eyed girl he had attempted to save.

 _Eight years later, Kai Empire…_

A delighted chuckle escaped a man throat just as roamed his hands over the body of the woman who had caught his eye for the last few days in the nearest tavern and was now sitting on his lap, stroking and kissing.

"Uh uh uh, if I had known it'd be that easy to get my hands on you, beautiful~… I would have made a move long ago, haha~"

"You are taking the words from my mouth…" She whispered with a sweet smile just as the man's chuckle turned into a gurgling sound.

His eyes widened in distress and shock as he looked right into her eyes, not understanding what was happening. Unable to breathe and feeling death taking him, the woman didn't blink as she kept the hold on her dagger that was now in his throat. Blood was escaping from his mouth and throat, rolling onto her hand. Finally, he made a last squeaky sound before falling limp against the chair.

Immediately, the young woman pulled her dagger away and washed the blood off of it and her hand with a handkerchief she let fall on the man's face.

"If I had known it'd be that easy to get into this office, I would have done it days ago instead of wasting my time with you, pig." She added, already starting to walk around the office of one of the head of a southern town of the Kai Empire.

She casually looked into papers and files, opening boxes and little safes. She balanced a beautiful dagger covered in emeralds and rubies that had been decoration before swiftly putting it in her belt to sell later. She stopped in front of a mirror, brushing her long and silky black hair, admiring her reflection before continuing her inspection of the office.

She opened another file and saw the documents she had been looking for. She took the page and dropped without any more care the file on the floor, papers flying everywhere.

"Exactly what I was looking for…" She murmured as she folded the paper and put it in her robes, "Awa Port, uh… I'll have to go back in Kouka then…" She continued to herself before stopping next to the desk where the man had died.

She grabbed a leather pouch filled with golden coins, throwing it in the air before catching it.

"I'll take that, you won't need that anymore, will you?" She said with a smirk at the dead man.

She opened the window and jumped off of it, quickly disappearing into the night.


	2. Past Catching Up

FANFICTION

AKATSUKI NO YONA : FREE SOULS

CHAPTER II : Past Catching Up

 _Awa Port, Earth Tribe, Kouka Kingdom…_

"A new king has been crowned after the death of King Il," a man said in a little tavern.

Mi-kyung was eating innocently all the while listening to the conversations going around her – it was the first thing she always did whenever she entered a new town.

"The princess has been killed by one of her bodyguard," another answered.

"No, no, I've heard that the bodyguard had killed King Il _then_ has run away with the princess but that they were dead now!"

"It doesn't matter – we have a new king… With luck, he'll do something for Awa…" The man who had spoken first said.

" _Shhh!_ You fool!" Another hissed.

"You shouldn't say such things, and you shouldn't hope so much…"

Mi-kyung kept a carefully neutral expression as the three men glanced over their shoulders nervously to find out if anyone had heard. Of course, they did not suspect the black-haired woman standing away from them to have and they sighed in relief.

Once she was done with her meal, she thanked the waiter and went back into the streets. At first, nothing appeared unusual in Awa Port – but after overhearing the men's conversation, she noticed the uncomfortable atmosphere that reigned in town. People were whispering and when they were noticed whispering, they acted nonchalant and natural. Some were glancing curiously or worriedly at Mi-kyung as she walked around town.

Deciding that she had gathered enough information for a first coming, she went back into the nearing forest. Once she was hidden completely, she took out a necklace from her neck on which there was a whistle. She breathed into it, no sound escaping the little instrument but soon, she heard a familiar sound and extended her arm. A falcon landed on it, looking up at her as he always did.

"Iseul, good job," she said with a smile.

The falcon answered with a happy scream and she let him fly back towards a branch before taking out from her purse a piece of fabric and some charcoal pencil she always had on her. She quickly wrote information on it then extended her arm, Iseul flying on it at once. She attached the rolled paper around the bird's foot.

"You know where to go, Iseul," Mi-kyung said as she sent him flying.

She whistled once into her whistle then moved a series of little stones that clicked against one another. Iseul flew above her head once, twice, then went off.

Mi-kyung then went back to town, deciding to go back to the inn where she was residing. Deciding to still explore the town, she took several turns and little streets, looking all around with an innocent expression.

"Hey, you!"

She acted innocent just as three men – officials judging from their outfits – came, following her into a rather dark street, away from the main avenue. She didn't want to get in trouble so fast and turned with a sweet smile towards the one who grabbed her.

"What is a pretty lady like you doing in such a dark place? It's dangerous," he said with a creepy smile that made his intention very clear.

"Ah, I'm sorry but I just arrived in town and I got lost… I am trying to find the main avenue with the tavern of the Raging Lantern…" She answered with a shy smile, batting her eyelashes.

Flushing, the man smiled while the two other officials looked at her from head to toe from behind.

"Could you indicate to me the direction, sir?" She asked.

"Of course… But before, why don't you remain a little longer with us?" The official continued, leaning forward.

"B-but… I really should go…"

"Come on, not long… We promise we'll be gentle…" Another official said, putting his hands on her shoulder from behind.

"Ah, p-please…" She pleaded, trying to escape their grips.

"Don't enjoy it too much, leave it some for me as well!" The third intervened with a laugh.

 _What a pain, I'll have to act if I want to get away from them…_ She thought to herself in annoyance.

"Let me go please, otherwise…"

"What? You wouldn't hurt us!"

She glanced over her shoulder at the two other men then she strongly pulled her arm away from the first official. Swiftly, she grabbed the wrists form the one with his hands on her shoulder and threw him over her head and on the ground before spinning around and kicking the third soldier. She heard a squeal and heavy sound behind her and turned around, fists raised to punch the last soldier but he was already on the ground.

Astonished, she looked at the young man who had just landed on the official just as his eyes met hers.

"Ah, my~ It seems you didn't need my help after all, young lady~" A green-haired man with purple eyes said as he looked, slightly impressed, at the two groaning men on the ground.

Mi-kyung stared at him – she was certain there had been no one before and he had arrived so suddenly.

"Where did you come from?" She asked, lowering her fists.

"I came down from the sky, sent by the heavens to help you, Miss~" He continued flirtatiously before taking a step towards her.

He took her hand and kissed the back of it with a wink.

"But I'm afraid the heavens have made a mistake because I am the one saved by your beauty, bright goddess~" He continued with a charming smile.

Usually, Mi-kyung would have either played the game to charm him or punch him but she kept staring at him in slight awe, her golden eyes sparkling as she felt some sort of familiarity invading her. She pulled her hand away from his grip just he straightened up, observing him closely.

"You have… fallen from the sky you said…?" She whispered.

"Mm, I have~" He agreed with his usual easy-going smile.

Purple eyes, green hair… Falling from the sky.

"I know what you are…" She whispered.

The man froze and stared at her, wondering if he had heard right. Perhaps she was flirting back? He hoped.

"You're… one of them, a _dragon_ … You're–"

"I apologize, but I must go now," Jae-ha quickly said, stepping away from her reach when she approached her hand to him.

He kicked off the ground and jumped off while Mi-kyung turned around to watch him fly away. Her golden eyes sparkled, her heart fastening.

She watched him flying away, free in the sky. After eight years… she had seen him once again. Her savior. All these years ago, he had kept his face hidden under a dark cloak but she had seen purple eyes shining maliciously and a strand of green hair falling over his shoulder.

An official grabbed her ankle with a groan and she looked down at him in annoyance before kicking his face.

"Tch…"

She huffed then walked away from the street. Once again, the Green Dragon had saved her.

She arrived back in her inn and quickly took off the top layers of her kimono, letting them fall on the floor as she felt lighter with less clothes on. Not caring if she walked around in an outfit that might seem inappropriate – she was in her room anyway – she sat in front of a mirror. She pulled off the golden hair pin that had been in her hair and put it down then she grabbed the edge of her black hair and pulled off the wig, setting it down carefully as her long, light-blond hair fell over her shoulder. Mi-kyung blinked. No matter how many years went by, it was still incredible how easily she could turn into a completely different person with different hair.

 _Awa's Pirates hiding place…_

Jae-ha landed on the pirates' ship gracefully, several pirates turning around towards him and saluting him.

"Did you find any useful information, Jae-ha?"

He looked up to look at his Captain. Gi-gan was smocking, leaning nonchalantly against the railing while looking down at him.

"Nothing of importance." He answered.

He was pretty sure he had barely hesitated when answering but the woman who had almost raised him these last few years narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.

"And anything non important?" She continued with the same tone as previously, "What about the two dragons you have mentioned yesterday?"

"Ahah, you always read me so easily, Captain~" He said as he arrived at her side with one tiny jump.

"So, something _did_ happen?" She concluded.

"Aaah…" He sighed, leaning against the railing and closing his eyes.

Arms crossed over his chest, his smile faded away before he opened his purple orbs once again,

staring into emptiness.

"Hakuryuu and Seiryuu in Awa Port. This third appearance just today… I feel like my past is catching up on me…" He murmured.

"You don't plan on flying off to escape them, Jae-ha?" She asked, sounding a little suspicious.

"No way! I wouldn't leave you all to deal with Yang Kum-Ji alone… I like it here." He said with a soft smile, glancing over his shoulder at the group of pirates working happily.

"A third appearance – another dragon?" Gi-gan asked.

"No. A woman." He answered, losing his smile once again.

"Then that shouldn't be surprising, flirtatious as you are…" She sighed.

But when the Green Dragon didn't answer, she looked back at him. She was slightly surprised to see a serious expression on his face, frowning lightly as he seemed lost in thoughts.

"This isn't one of your conquests?" She continued, her brown eyes staring closely at the young man.

"No. I honestly don't know who she is. I know that I have seen her before but I can't tell where or when… She knew me – she knew my power. If she's from the Ryokuryuu's village…" He continued, voice lowering, slightly worried at the idea that the people from his village might have tracked him down even after all these years.

"You won't be chained again, Jae-ha," Gi-gan simply said.

And even if the tone of voice didn't seem to hold anything particular, Jae-ha felt the protectiveness of the woman. He knew he was safe.

The next day, Mi-kyung went in town once again disguised as a black-haired young woman. Her eyebrows had been darkened and the make-up applied on her face gave her a completely different aura from her real self. She went into the tavern of the Raging Lantern. A rounded woman was at the counter, washing glasses while drunken men were snoring on some tables.

"Ah, welcome at the Raging Lantern!" The woman exclaimed cheerfully, "Why would a pretty lady like you come here at such an early hour of the day?"

"I am just looking for some place to stay, clouds are coming from the north and it might rain," Mi-kyung answered with a smile.

The woman's moves didn't even faltered as she smiled back.

"Oh, I see. We have a room in the back if you want? Let me take you there, young lady."

Mi-kyung followed the woman as they entered a little room, lit by the little sunlight coming from a tiny window.

"Do you have any flower as payment?" The woman continued with her usual amiable smile.

"Yes, I do," Mi-kyung answered as she pulled at some of her dark hair.

The woman looked behind her ear and seeing a little red mark, she nodded. She pulled at some curtains and they entered another back room in which there were beds and several people laying mostly naked on them, most still half-asleep. It reeked of sex and it wasn't hard to understand what was this room's purpose. Mi-kyung, unphased, followed to woman who entered yet another little room. She then pushed a stone in the wall and an invisible wall opened up. The two women went down some stairs lit by torches.

"I am sorry for the questions, but I needed to be sure you were part of us, lady," the woman said, turning around to look at Mi-kyung.

"It's all right. It's the usual questions, after all."

"You are on a dangerous mission – does this have anything to do with Yang Kum-Ji?"

"Yes, what can you tell me about this man?" Mi-kyung continued as they finally arrived in a big series of rooms that were under the Tavern.

There were many tables, chairs and furniture. Everywhere there were many clothes of all sorts – men, women, children, with rich ornaments or no better than beggars'. There were accessories, make-up and many wigs of all sorts and colors.

The two women sat at a table, continuing their discussion.

"Yang Kum-Ji is the feudal Lord of Awa Port. He deals with the Kai Empire for illegal trades – drugs, products and slavery."

Mi-kyung frowned very lightly but didn't answer.

"He is very powerful and has many connections. Many of us have come to Awa in order to stop him and his affairs, but they all failed…"

"I never fail my missions." Mi-kyung answered calmly, "Very well, is there anything these people have learned and shared with you?"

"Most of the time, they didn't have time to share anything and died without even any information being shared. But I do know that there are some places in town where beautiful women are kidnapped for the slavery – unfortunately, I don't know where exactly, it constantly changes. I also know that almost every day at the same time, Kum-Ji is seen in town in the main avenue." The woman continued.

"Is that all?" Mi-kyung asked, raising her eyebrows.

"As I said, everyone before has failed." The woman answered with a shrug.

"Well, I won't. I will find and finish Yang Kum-Ji. I will need some clothes and disguises from here then." Mi-kyung continued as she stood up.

"Ah, one last thing you should know: you are not the only one after him." The woman said with a dark expression.

Tilting her head on a side, Mi-kyung spoke up:

"Are there any other of us currently after him?" She asked, immediately thinking of the dragon she had seen the day before.

"The last one sent here is probably dead… But there is a group of pirates."

"Pirates?" She repeated, raising one eyebrow in slight surprise.

"They only attack Yang Kum-Ji's ships, without killing anyone, only destroying the ships and merchandise."

"Gentle pirates… I've seen many extraordinary things but this is definitely something I must see with my own two eyes while I am in Awa." She answered, slightly mocking.

"I don't know any of them, though. They are a very little and tight group that doesn't appear at Awa any more and unless you know where to find them, you can't."

Mi-kyung nodded lightly before turning around and starting to go through all the objects and clothes available. The woman went back to the upper floors of her tavern, leaving the woman alone until she was done.

For the next few days, Mi-kyung walked and observed the town, changing disguises several times. But still, her presence was growing longer than she had hoped and several people had started noticing her. For now, the people and officials didn't seem to have grown suspicious of her but she wanted to finish it as soon as possible before her cover would be blown.

Mi-kyung heard a familiar sound and noticed a bird on a roof. The falcon stared at her then squeaked once again before flying off. She went into a tiny street, hidden from view then used her whistle. Iseul quickly appeared and flew down to the ground, in front of her, waiting obediently. As expected, he had a message rolled around his bird foot and the young woman knelt to read it.

 **Kill Yang Kum-Ji.**

– **The Hawk**

She had her final order. She couldn't fail the Hawk, she wouldn't fail her mission.

She straightened up, Iseul flying on her arm. She brushed his feathers and smiled softly as the bird closed his eyes in delight.

"Stay around the city, Iseul. I'll call you if I need help." She said, setting the bird to fly off.

She looked up to see her falcon going off but another big bird – or rather, a dragon – caught her eye, flying in the sky. Lips opening, she followed him with her eyes until he disappeared from her view.

She went back into the main streets, glancing often at the sky to try following the direction the dragon had taken. She was trying to walk despite the excitement pulsing through her body. She was sure she had lost him when she suddenly heard people clacking doors and windows.

Mi-kyung looked around her as everyone went into hiding or disappeared from view. Then, a carriage drove by her. She glanced into the window and saw a dark-haired man. No doubt that it was Yang Kum-Ji.

His eyes caught Mi-kyung's and she quickly lowered her head, bowing as he drove by. She waited a short moment until the carriage with Yang Kum-Ji drove away and once she was sure that she hadn't been noticed, she sighed in relief. She glanced at the carriage going away. So, that was the man she had to kill.

Hearing a smothered, strange sound nearby, Mi-kyung glanced and her eyes widened when she saw a green-haired man, followed by a girl wearing a cape. They were crossing the streets and advancing right towards a woman disguised as a man who was cowering in fear. At once, Mi-kyung followed them closely without being noticed, close enough to hear their voices.

"What's wrong?" The girl wearing a cape asked gently.

The disguised girl startled and tried to make an escape but the Green Dragon didn't let her go away. He grabbed her hand, stopping the girl from going away.

"You…" He started in a low voice.

Mi-kyung remained out of view, still listening and observing the scene.

"L-let go!" The girl exclaimed shaking her head.

Her fake mustache flew off – _amateur_ … Mi-kyung thought to herself.

Undisturbed, the young man ripped the mustache off the squirrel it had landed on (a squirrel…?) and gave it back with an easy smile.

"You dropped this, Miss," he said.

Defeated, the girl stared at him then fell on the ground, holding herself, fear flashing in her eyes.

"H-how could you tell?" she asked in a trembling voice.

"If I had to give a reason, your scent!" He answered proudly.

"A pervert!" The girl exclaimed at once.

"Ah. So this is a pervert." The caped girl remarked.

"Will the pervert leave the girl alone, then?"

They all stiffened hearing a new voice in their backs, but both the caped girl and the dragon froze completely when they felt a cold sensation against their necks – blades ready to kill them.

* * *

 _Don't hesitate to tell me how it is so far~_

 _Yours Truly,_

 _May_


	3. Plan

_I did say I wouldn't post very often, ah ah... Soryr? ^^"_

 _Thank you to everyone who followed, favorited and even reviewed! :D_

 _ **bookdragonslayer** : Thank you for your review and support inter-fandoms! :D I hope you'll like what follows! ;)_

 _ **Name FAN/kousei** : It's impressive how people follow me throughout several fandoms, and not Haikyuu! :D I hope you'll enjoy this AkaYona fanfic as well~! :3_

 _ **LuxKlara** : No posso scegliere un drago preferisco, mi piaciono tutti i draghi! E Hak! E Yona! E Yoon! XD Spero che ti piacerà anche questo fanfiction!_

* * *

FANFICTION

AKATSUKI NO YONA : FREE SOULS

CHAPTER II : Plan

 _[A young Jae-ha once saved a girl from slavery but before he could help her out any more, she disappeared. Eight years alter, a spy finds out clues about human trafficking leading to Awa Port, obtaining the order from the Hawk to kill Yang Kum-Ji – the head of the city. In Awa Port, Mi-Kyung, or Haneul, meets Jae-ha, the Green Dragon but he runs away from her when he feels like she might know him… Until Mi-Kyung meets him and a girl during her investigation.]_

"Will the pervert leave the girl alone, then?" A voice resonated behind the group of people.

They all stiffened hearing a new voice in their backs, but both the caped girl and the dragon froze completely when they felt a cold sensation against their necks – blades ready to kill them. Glancing nervously, they noticed a young woman with long, black hair who had just appeared from nowhere in complete silence. She had taken off her golden pin, the point now pressing against the girl's throat, not letting her go away. Mi-kyung's other arm was extended with a dagger in her hand, the blade pressing against the dragon's throat as well. The slightest move and Mi-kyung could easily stop either of them by diving the blade a little further into their flesh.

Shocked, both the girl and dragon stared at Mi-kyung nervously. The dragon then glanced nervously at the girl, as if scared for her more than him. He looked back at Mi-kyung and forced a smile.

"Y-you…" He whispered, recognizing the woman from a few days ago.

"Do you know her? Is she one of your friend?" The girl asked with a strangely calm voice.

"I wouldn't point my dagger at a _friend_ ," Mi-kyung intervened, glancing down quickly at the red-haired girl.

The girl, who must not have been much older than in her teens, glanced up at Mi-kyung and instantly, her breath stopped. She felt her blood boiling, her heart beating way faster than it ever did. It was just for a short moment, but meeting this little girl's amethyst eyes completely shook Mi-kyung who started trembling.

 _What's happening to me?!_ She thought, unable to think or breathe for a terrifying moment.

Seeing this strange reaction, Jae-ha's eyes widened, wondering if this woman could be a dragon – he had never heard of a _female_ dragon (but he would gladly follow any dragon if she were a female) but the confused, shocked and sudden reaction from the woman reminded him of the one he had gone through just a few days ago when meeting Yona.

Mi-kyung shook her head and steadied her hands, still feeling incredibly confused. Her legs were shaking and she had to focus to open her lips. But she stopped completely when she felt a oh-so-familiar sensation against her side. She glanced down at the dagger that the Green Dragon had now put against her side then glanced back up at him, looking more annoyed than threatened.

"Really?" She said, not impressed.

"Step away from Yona-chan, will you?" He asked with an overly sweet smile that was probably meant to be a threat.

"How about _you_ just draw away your weapon before I slit her throat open?" Mi-kyung continued before remembering why she had followed the Green Dragon – and why she had put her dagger against his throat, "Do you work for Yang Kum-Ji?" She asked suspiciously, frowning lightly.

"Never. Do _you?"_ He continued, his dagger pressing a little closer.

"No."

Golden and purple eyes clashed against each other before a tiny voice spoke up at their left.

"If… you do not work for Yang Kum-Ji… why don't you pull away your weapons?"

Mi-kyung glanced back down at the girl called Yona who looked a little pale from having a pin against her throat ready to kill her. But still, she had managed to find the courage to talk and look into the black-haired woman's eyes.

Mi-kyung glanced back at the Green Dragon and a silent agreement seemed to pass between them. Slowly, they both drew away their weapons before they disappeared. Mi-kyung put her dagger back in its hiding under a layer of her dress but before putting her golden pin back in her hair, she used it against the dragon.

She swung it so swiftly Jae-ha and Yona barely had time to register what had happened but suddenly, he cried out and put his hand against his arm, an offended look on his face.

"What the?!"

Yona cried out in shock, hands going on her mouth but the young man was already pulling away his hand from his bicep and glancing down at his sleeve that now had a little rip.

"That's for making a hole in my dress." Mi-kyung said as she calmly pinned her hair back up.

"Oh thank goodness you are not injured, Jae-ha…" Yona sighed in relief.

"Of course not, I know how to aim."

"That's not the problem here!" The dragon exclaimed.

"Indeed, it is not," Mi-kyung agreed, looking him straight in the eye before looking back at the cowering girl on the ground.

She had not dared moving from her spot, too afraid to be noticed by these people who could kill her at any given moment.

"If you're not working for Yang Kum-Ji and against us, why did you try to kill us?" The Green Dragon asked suspiciously.

"If I had wanted to kill you, you would be by now. I was merely trying to figure out whether or not you were working for Yang Kum-Ji after the way you had treated this girl. Plus, I always stop perverts from making their moves on an innocent." Mi-kyung said, looking him straight in the eyes.

It was one of these _rare_ times when Jae-ha met one of these _rare_ people who could look into his eyes without hesitation. It was one of these _very rare_ people who could get him to be unable to talk – only Yona had managed to do so so far…

Yona was observing the exchange curiously, seeing the atmosphere sparkling between the two who seemed to _at least_ be acquaintances. As if he had forgotten both the girl and Yona, the green dragon continued, frowning lightly at the golden-eyed girl.

"Are you from Ryokuryuu's village?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

Surprised, Mi-kyung blinked, staring at him in disbelief before her lips fell open.

"You… don't recognize me?" She asked softly.

"I've met you a few days ago, but that's it. Who are you?" He continued, but he didn't feel her presence as similar to one of a dragon.

"You… don't recognize me…" She repeated before looking away for a short moment, "You can call me Haneul, Ryokuryuu." She introduced herself, giving her usual fake identity.

Jae-ha knew right away that it wasn't her real name but he wasn't the one to speak up – it was Yona:

"You know the dragons, Haneul?" She asked with a little smile as if she had completely forgotten having been threatened a few moments ago by the woman.

Mi-kyung – or Haneul – glanced once again at her, wondering why she looked so familiar… she would have remembered red hair such as these.

"Only stories." She answered quickly.

Both Yona and Jae-ha were terribly curious about Haneul and about what she was hiding but a light sound coming the girl on the ground reminded them of why they were all gathered in this tiny street.

Haneul knelt in front of the girl, talking softly – a completely different demeanor from previously:

"Are you all right? I'm sorry if I have scared you, I mean you no harm, I swear…" She started.

The girl hesitated, glancing up with teary eyes at all three impressive people but they only looked at her with helpful expressions. Finally, she lowered her head, ready to answer their questions.

"You've disguised yourself as a man to escape from the officials?" Jae-ha asked.

"Y-yes…"

"But you seemed extraordinarily frightened. Did something happen?" He continued.

The girl trembled even more, tears filling her eyes once again. It wasn't hard to understand that something _did_ happen.

"Did the officials… no, did Kum-Ji do something to you?"

"I don't know! I don't know!" She exclaimed, shaking her head.

Haneul put a comforting hand on her shoulder as she lowered her head against her knees, explaining what had happened to drive her into such a frightened state.

"A few days ago, my friend and I heard there was a decent job… So we went into a certain shop. My friend was very beautiful. We were allowed inside, but ultimately, only my friend was called into the back-room. They told me I could leave, but…"

She paused, taking in a shaky breath before continuing:

"But I was curious, so I looked inside the small room she'd gone into… It happened in a flash."

She raised her head, eyes filled with fear as she added:

"She hasn't come back since…"

Haneul frowned lightly but the girl looked up at Jae-ha and the red-haired girl called Yona.

"Later, I learned that this shop belonged to Yang Kum-Ji. Since then, I've been afraid of the officials…"

Haneul patted the girl's shoulder and stood up just as Jae-ha smiled after hearing all this.

"That must be the entrance to the human trafficking detention facility… One of many, that is."

The girl instantly stood up, followed closely by Haneul who was much calmer.

"Huh? Human… Y-you don't mean…"

Haneul opened her lips but before she could say a thing, Jae-ha spoke up:

"Don't worry, your friend is fine. I'm sure she'll come back."

It seemed to reassure the girl enough to let the green-haired man take a step forward, taking her hand.

"There, there, poor girl~ It must have been quite scary. Wipe your tears, I'll do something about it! Until then, disguise yourself and hide in your home. Normally…"

Haneul ignored the flirtatious man and turned away, looking thoughtful. Yona glanced at her a little curiously.

"A shop, the entrance tot he human trafficking…" She repeated to herself.

"Haneul," Yona called, "Do you know anything?" She asked.

Haneul looked back at the girl before answering vaguely:

"Not much more. And you?"

Yona shook her head no before looking down, surprising the woman by this unexpected expression.

"Is there nothing we can do to stop Yang Kum-Ji…?" Yona murmured to herself.

Haneul didn't answer but turned back towards the girl being flirted with the Green Dragon, she leaned down towards her, ignoring his annoying words going on and on about the beauty of women.

"Tell me," Haneul started, "I know it's been hard but could you indicate me the shop you and your friend went to?"

The girl hesitated, lips trembling but a few minutes later, Haneul was walking in the direction of said-shop. The woman from the Raging Lantern had said there were several places around town where women were kidnapped for slavery – this shop was one of them and it was Haneul's best lead to go all the way back to Yang Kum-Ji. If she were to infiltrate this shop, she'd be able to find out more about the trafficking and Yang Kum-Ji's location…

"Oi." Haneul said, stopping suddenly in her tracks and throwing an annoyed look over her shoulder, "Why are you two following me?" She asked with a harsh tone at Jae-ha and Yona.

They stopped as well, smiling innocently – or rather, Jae-ha smiled smugly, trying to appear innocent while the red-haired girl _really_ looked innocent.

"We're not following you, Haneul-chan~" Jae-ha answered.

"We want to find as much as you about this shop." Yona added before her innocent look turned into a firm, determined one, "We are trying to stop Yang Kum-Ji from harassing the people of this town."

Haneul stared at the two of them before glancing around but when she didn't notice anyone nearby who might overhear their conversation, she continued:

"Are you some of the pirates who are working against Kum-Ji?" She asked suspiciously.

"We are. And you? Who are you working for?" Jae-ha asked, taking a step forward.

"I had been curious about these gentle pirates I had heard of…" Haneul answered with a smile.

Jae-ha narrowed his eyes when she avoided his question but she turned around, continuing to walk.

"Don't worry about me. I am not against you. As I said, I am working against Yang Kum-Ji as well. Our goals align." Haneul added, walking calmly.

"So it seems…" Jae-ha whispered to himself.

"If you want to stop Kum-Ji, why don't you join the pirates?" Yona asked, catching up with Haneul, "You seem like you know how to fight."

"I don't join groups of friends such as these gentle pirates. I'm very well on my own." Haneul answered absent-mindedly.

Yona stared at the girl before glancing at Jae-ha and continuing:

"How do you know about the dragons?" She asked in a hushed voice so that they would be the only three to hear.

Haneul glanced down at Yona then back at Jae-ha who seemed just as curious.

"I have heard legends about the dragons, and these last few days, I have noticed a man flying around the city. Also, he totally gave himself away by asking if I came from his village!" She explained while pointing at Jae-ha.

The man startled guiltily before glancing away. He couldn't help but feel threatened by this girl – he had let down his guard by asking her if she was from Ryokuryuu's village – knowing the legends about the four dragons, seeing him flying around and finally, hearing about a _"Ryokuryuu's village"_ … it was enough to get to the conclusion that the dragons weren't just legends and that he was one of them. Haneul didn't seem to be an idiot so it had been easy for her to figure it out.

Yona smiled lightly, as if amused by their interaction and Jae-ha's reaction.

Then, they stopped as they arrived near the shop.

"This is the shop?" Yona asked, pulling at her cape to put it on her hair.

 _Is she trying to hide her identity?_ Haneul wondered after noticing this gesture.

"Yes, let's ask some questions around…"

The group of three, Yona mostly hiding behind Jae-ha and Haneul, asked a few questions and found out that the shop would recruit women until the day after tomorrow when it'd close.

"This probably means they're going to make the deal with the Kai Empire after tomorrow and ship the women during the night…" Jae-ha started thoughtfully, "We should go tell Captain Gi-gan about it so we can prepare a plan. Yona-chan, Hane…"

He glanced around but Haneul was gone. Yona looked around as well but the black-haired woman had disappeared at some point after collecting the information they had needed…

"Jae-ha, do you know who this girl might be?" Yona asked curiously.

"…Not really…" He lied, because he had a good idea of what sort of job this woman was doing for a living, "Let's go, Yona-chan," he said with a smile.

He had no right to judge. Not when he was a pirate.

Once Jae-ha and Yona had come back to the pirates, they shared with the entire crew everything they had learned: the deal would happen the night of the day after tomorrow. Yang Kum-Ji would deal with the Kai Empire before sending the women he had sold into slavery during the night. They discussed of a plan, concluding that the first priority would be to find which ship the women were on. Yona volunteered to infiltrate the hostages to set off a firework that would indicate the right ship. After Captain Gi-gan accepted Yona's idea, and that a second person to accompany her was chosen (it led to much more discussion, a mostly stupid one from Gi-gan's point of view), the pirates all gathered to discuss the final plan.

"We'll infiltrate Yang Kum-Ji tomorrow!" Gi-gan exclaimed, the pirates cheering as they all went off into their own business.

The crew quickly went to work and prepare themselves for the final battle but Jae-ha remained with Gi-gan, looking thoughtful and pensive.

"You remained awfully quiet this whole time, Jae-ha. Are you that worried for these two?" Captain Gi-gan asked after noticing this unusual serious look on the dragon's face.

"Not really," he lied with a smile, "I was just thinking about another possibility."

It was a lie to say he wasn't worried – whenever he thought about the idea that Yona will go on a ship as one of Yang Kum-Ji's prized goods, worry wrenched his heart.

"Another possibility?" Gi-gan repeated, narrowing her eyes.

"Captain, do you remember when I mentioned a woman who might be from Ryokuryuu's village? We met her today, Yona-chan and I…" He answered.

"Oh? So, did you find out who she is?" Gi-gan asked.

"She said her name was Haneul – fake identity, I'm sure. She didn't talk much about herself or why she knows about the dragons, she's a mystery but… she seemed like a skilled warrior and she is trying to stop Yang Kum-Ji as well. More than a warrior, I'd say she might be–"

"A spy." Gi-gan finished.

Jae-ha nodded eagerly just as Gi-gan sighed.

"And you want to ask her help, is that right?"

"You always read me so well, Captain~"

"Jae-ha, a spy is not the same as pirate. This girl might be dangerous – for the crew. We won't have time to find out if she can be trusted. Unless there is another reason you want her?" She questioned, giving an accusing look at the young man.

"It's right that we won't be able to trust her, but think about it, Captain! If she's a spy, she knows how to infiltrate – perhaps she could take Yona-chan, or Yoon's place, neither of them is a good fighter or would know how to defend himself if they were to be caught. This girl might be able to. Plus… if we don't know her position, isn't it better to keep your friends close but your enemies closer?" Jae-ha continued.

He looked right into Gi-gan's eyes, unflinching. The old woman thought about it for a moment – she didn't like the idea of sending these two into a possible danger, but they had been volunteers. Still, if someone else could take their place… someone who knew how to fight…

"Why didn't you mention it in front of the crew?" She continued.

At this, Jae-ha seemed a little sheepish, as if unsure of why he had kept the woman's existence secret earlier.

"W-well, I don't know if she'd be willing to help… Also… um, as you said, she might be dangerous and…"

"You want to know why she knows about you." Gi-gan guessed in his ramble.

Caught, Jae-ha lowered his head, giving a little nod.

"She's not from Ryokuryuu's village but she knows _me_ , more than she knows about the dragons. I want to know how and why… I want to know if I should be wary about being settled down for so long. Perhaps I hadn't been careful enough and the only way to be sure will be by finding out who she is."

"…If you get her here, you'll be the one handling her – if she gets dangerous, you'll know what to do?" Gi-gan continued, looking away.

Jae-ha didn't answer but they both knew he knew exactly what to do. He was the only one of the pirates who had ever killed (minus the new bunch of Yona's followers). He turned around to get Haneul but Gi-gan spoke up before he could disappear:

"One last thing, Jae-ha. Look behind her right ear. You might have your answer."

Before the night could fall, Jae-ha leapt off the Pirates' hiding place and back to Awa. He had an idea of where he might find her but he wouldn't be sure until he had looked through most of the city. She didn't seem like the sort of person to hide herself, on the contrary, she was walking on the open street without any worry.

Jae-ha was watching every corner and street he was flying above, mostly checking inns and other gathering places. His eyes widened when he noticed a silhouette, entirely clad in black, jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

"Lucky…" He thought to himself.

He landed down before leaping off once again, starting to follow from a distance the swift figure. The person was entirely dressed in skin-tight black clothes, her face and hair covered with the same black fabric. The only part of the person's body that wasn't covered were the eyes, piercing through the night. Without much surprise, Jae-ha saw the black-claded person going to the shop he had seen this morning with Yona and Haneul.

The spy remained at the edge of a window for a short moment, Jae-ha observing from another rooftop, before he entered the first floor of the shop in complete silence. The Green Dragon jumped and landed just as silently. On the first-floor, all candles were off but thanks to the moonlight, the spy and, unknown to him, the dragon, moved around without any trouble. The spy entered another room which turned out to be the shop's office and quickly looked around, looking for anything useful. He was looking through some documents when he heard a light sound – a footstep.

Quick as the wind, the spy hid in the darkness just as someone else pushed the door open and peaked inside. At first, Jae-ha didn't think there was anyone but upon noticing that it was an office, he narrowed his eyes to see more clearly. He saw from the corner of his eye a shining object and he lifted up his hand just in time to catch a throwing knife that had almost hit his forehead. Jae-ha breathed out heavily, eyes wide, and looking into the darkness without seeing anything just as a drop of blood rolled down his hand from the knife he had caught but had still cut his skin.

Then, the silhouette moved from the darkness and piercing golden eyes made his heart stop. Jae-ha decided to act before she'd try killing him.

"Haneul?" He called, stepping inside the office.

No one had such bright golden eyes, not like Haneul who was frowning at him furiously for being interrupted in her intruding.

"Green Dragon – what are you doing here?" She asked in a threatening voice even if it was smothered by the black fabric over her mouth.

"Aaah, you'll never believe me!" he answered, admittedly a little nervously.

He might not have think things through when he followed a professional spy into a shop she had infiltrated.

"I was looking for you and I just happened to see you entering this place and… well, I followed you here?"

They were now facing each other even if Jae-ha didn't feel any more reassured by the woman being fully seen. The moonlight entering the room gave her eyes a magical aura – and he knew very well about magical auras, or breathtakingly beautiful eyes…

"Haneul, I know it's you, please say something and don't kiiiiiAAh!"

Before he knew it, she had taken out a knife that was now pressed against his throat. He tried to lean away but he was stuck by the desk in his back.

"Please, Hane-chan, don't do something you might regret!" He exclaimed, taking out his own knifes discreetly.

"Take these things back in their sheathes and you're dead for, Green Dragon!" She hissed, getting closer to him in an uncomfortable way (a threatening sort of uncomfortable, not a turn-on sort of uncomfortable unfortunately…), " _Why_ have you followed me here?! You could have us both killed!" She continued in a low, cold voice, her eyes looking right into his.

Jae-ha opened his lips to answer but a sound from another room made them both whip around. Swiftly, Haneul let go of Jae-ha and they both turned towards the nearest window. Haneul opened it without a sound and she jumped off of it, looking at the ground where she'd land. But before her feet could touch the ground, a strong arm grabbed her around the waist and she was suddenly taken somewhere else by Jae-ha. He had caught her in the air and after kicking the ground, they were flying quickly away from the shop and disappearing into the night.

"Let me go!" Haneul exclaimed furiously, wiggling while he tightened his grip on her.

"Calm down! I am only letting us get away before we could get caught!" He exclaimed back, jumping off another roof.

Haneul punched and kicked him but he ignored her hits, focusing on going into a quiet place where they wouldn't be found. She took one of her dagger and the moment he put his feet on a rooftop, before he even had time to kick off, he froze, the tip of a cold dagger against his throat. The cold sensation sent a chill down his spine when he felt a warm drop of blood rolling down his neck.

Slowly, Jae-ha looked down at Haneul who was looking up at him with deadly eyes.

"…You know what I am, so you should know that I could kill you with a single kick, right?" He started, sounding threatening now that he knew he had the upper hand by having her under his arm.

"And you know what _I_ am as well, I could kill you before you had time to use your leg, Dragon! Just now, that was just a threat – I could have killed you already so _let me go!"_ Haneul hissed, pressing the dagger closer in his flesh.

He felt the skin break, releasing more blood and it gave an unpleasant sensation against his flesh. He unclenched his grip around Haneul's waist just enough to make her let go at least a little bit of the pressure on his throat. As soon as he didn't feel the cold tip, he let go of her completely. With a surprised scream Haneul tried to hold back, she fell right on her stomach, on the rooftop's edge. Before she could get away, Jae-ha turned his right leg towards her, intending to press it on her back (without hurting, just to keep her from moving) but he had underestimating her swiftness. Haneul had already turned around on her side and her dagger had stopped his foot.

"You're fast. And strong." He noticed, looking at her while he increased the pressure of his dragon foot against her.

Haneul seemed to clench her teeth, eyes furious as she held stubbornly her dagger against his foot to keep him from advancing even more.

"But not fast or strong enough against a dragon," Jae-ha added in a whisper.

He pushed forward just a tiny bit but it was too much for Haneul whose grip on her dagger failed. She held back a scream as she suddenly had the dragon foot on her throat, holding her down effectively and almost choking her.

"I told you you were no match for a dragon." Jae-ha added with his usual easy-going smile, hands on his hips.

Haneul only glared at him. If eyes could pierce through skin, he'd be long-dead by now. Her stubbornness and will were truly admirable – and for a simple human, she had held longer than expected against the dragon's leg (even if it had been a mere few seconds).

Suddenly remembering why they were in such a position and why he had been looking for her to begin with, Jae-ha suddenly felt annoyed at himself. Both this girl and Yona managed to break his composure and everyday life's comfort. For different reasons. If he could understand for Yona being the master of the four dragons, he couldn't get why he was so… so easily fooled with this other girl whose real name he didn't even know.

"Damn it, I didn't want it to turn out like that…" He muttered to himself, stepping away from Haneul.

She instantly jumped on her feet, standing on the rooftop's edge in a defensive posture, daggers out and ready to kill or attack if necessary. But from the way she was very lightly wheezing, she was holding back, wary of the dragon's power now – as she should be. And after a second, her golden eyes showed that her cold rage turned into confusion.

"…What do you want of me…?" She asked suspiciously, thinking back on what he had said in the office – he had been looking for her.

"I only want your help." Jae-ha answered with his sneaky smile, lifting up his hands in an innocent gesture, showing that he had no weapon (for the moment), "I might have asked it the wrong way, though…"

"…You're one of the pirate. I'll ask it _again_. What do you want of me?!" She asked, sounding more threatening.

He noticed how the grip on her weapons tightened, just like her muscles – she was ready to jump. She was like a wild animal, ready to kill at any moment.

Dropping all mask and easy-going demeanor, Jae-ha lost his smile and looked right into her golden eyes. The intensity in his purple ones made Haneul stiffen – not out of defense but because she felt as if she was speaking with the _real_ Jea-ha for the _first time_ since she had met him. Not the happy-go-lucky mask he kept on most of the time, not the flirtatious behavior to get away with everything, not the threatening and overwhelming aura coming from the dragon power within him… But Jea-ha as he really was.

"I want your help in defeating Yang Kum-Ji. My Captain is willing to meet you. We have a plan to stop Kum-Ji once and for all, but we can't have anyone ruining our plan… Someone like a Red Lotus' member, perhaps…?" He continued, observing closely her reaction.

Haneul's eyes widened slightly – just enough to show that it was indeed what she was. She was part of the Red Lotus – an organization of high-skilled spies and killers whose network threaded not just throughout all of Kouka Kingdom, but also the Kai Empire, Sei and Xing – probably more.

Haneul didn't react until finally, she let her posture down a little – not enough to not react in time, but enough to show that she wasn't wary of Jae-ha anymore. Satisfied, he smiled a little more while she spoke up:

"I'm surprised you aren't the Captain of the pirates, with that powerful leg of yours…" She muttered suspiciously.

Jae-ha laughed loudly, highly amused. Of course, people always expected the pirates' Captain to be the most powerful out of all of them – and it was the case, after all.

"No way! I don't stand a chance against Captain Gi-gan! Actually, she's a lot like you, you'll probably love her!" Jae-ha exclaimed, smiling good-heartily.

Now curious about this gentle pirates' Captain who would be able to put down the legendary Green Dragon, Haneul hesitated, glancing around the rooftops.

It was still the night and the dawn was far away but she wouldn't be able to go back into the shop to get any more information thanks to that infuriating dragon who had interrupted her in her search for information concerning Yang Kum-Ji. Without anything else but what she had collected until then, she wouldn't be able to do much against him if the pirates were to try and stop him soon.

"Take me to your Captain." She decided, putting away her knives into their hiding place.

Glad that despite their little skirmish, Haneul was willing to be taken to the pirates and listen to their plan, Jae-ha happily walked towards her, scooping her up in her arms swiftly.

"Be ready to fly, Hane-chan~" He said with a smile, making her scowl.

She huffed annoyingly just as he jumped off. Haneul looked away form his satisfied grin, focusing on the moon ahead. It had not occurred to her initially because she had been trying to kill him while he was jumping off from rooftop to rooftop, but the sensations of flying hit Haneul like a wave and memories flooded back instantly. Memories from eight years ago. Memories of _freedom_.

Her eyes widened and sparkled and she couldn't help but lean forward, letting the fresh air of night hit her face. At this move, Jae-ha glanced down at her, his own eyes widening when he saw her golden eyes, bright and sparkling with life. It tugged at his memory, as if he had seen her already – as if he had seen this expression of _awe_ already…

"Ah…" He said to himself when he realized they were arriving.

He landed on the floor and after one last kick, he landed on the pirates' ship. It was empty except for Captain Gi-gan who was smoking quietly, sitting and watching the landscapes. She turned her head towards the next arrival just as Jae-ha let go of Haneul who looked around, looking for any threat and finally, settling her bright, fiery eyes on Gi-gan.

 _Fiery eyes… fiery eyes… where did I see such eyes?_ Jae-ha thought to himself, staring at her while trying to recollect any bit of memory.

"So… You're the girl who brought out Jae-ha's imbecility?" Gi-gan started quietly, not looking impressed by the wary girl whose fingers were dancing on her daggers.

Haneul didn't say a thing despite Jae-ha's staring being shortened by this comment.

"What do you mean by that, Captain? It hurts my feelings…" He continued.

If Haneul was surprised by the fact that the Captain was an elderly woman, she barely reacted. She blinked once, took the information in then settled back to her threatening stare.

"You wanted to see me?" She asked, voice smothered by the black fabric still covering her mouth.

"Well…"

Captain Gi-gan stood up and approached the young woman, turning around and looking at her up and down. Haneul watched her carefully from the corner of her eye but didn't try any move.

"I've heard you are working to stop Yang Kum-Ji," Gi-gan finally said, facing the girl.

"…I am."

Gi-gan kept string at the woman, their eyes clashing without any of the two giving up. Jae-ha was almost feeling the heavy atmosphere hitting on his nerves but finally, Gi-gan chuckled, as if impressed.

"You have fire in your eyes. No surprise Jae-ha is so interested in you! But you can drop the tough act, I'm not impressed by your fiery demeanor, girl," Gi-gan continued with a confident smirk, "We'll discuss a plan and possible alliance if you show your face."

Haneul frowned lightly before sighing.

"You are right… You're not impressed." She said before reaching for the black clothe around her head.

She pulled at both the hood and the mask covering her nose and mouth. As soon as it was free from the clothes, her long, golden-blond hair fell in her back smoothly. Jae-ha's lips fell open and he stared with wide eyes at the girl whose face was now completely exposed.

"Y-your hair… You hair was black this morning!" He exclaimed, pointing at her in disbelief.

Both Gi-gan and Haneul glanced at him with some sort of annoyed expression until Haneul huffed disdainfully, putting her hands on her hips.

"So?"

"But! It was black! Now it's…! Blond!" He exclaimed once again.

"It's called disguise, Jae-ha," Gi-gan said with a shake of her head.

* * *

 _I hope you liked it! Don't hesitate to tell me what you though of it! :)_

 _Yours Truly,_

 _May_


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